Clutch shifting mechanism



May 26, 1942. 2 c, F BALL .ETAL 2,284,251

CLUTCH SHIFT ING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 5, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 1 l N VE N T O R S a; C/La'rleslZBa ll and Zouis fib il/remain;

May 26, 1942. c. F. BALL ET AL CLUTCH SHIFTING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 3. 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Charles 116a and [10a 11; 6. .b ilkemez'el;

May 26, 1942. c. F. BALL ET AL 2,284,251

CLUTCH SHIFTING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 3. 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 c. F. BALL ET AL 2,284,251

CLUTCH SHIFTING MECHANISM May 26, 1942.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Jan. 3, 1940 Hi i" H TO 2 fi/zarles FLBall and Louis ilIlZ/cemeier;

Patented May 26, 1942 Charles F. Ball, Wauwatosa, and Louis 6. Hilkemeier, Milwaukee, Win,

Company, Wisconsin asslgnorsto Chain Belt Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation Original application January 3,1940, Serial No.

BOIalms.

This invention relates to clutch shifting mechanism and for purposes of the present disclosure it will beillustrated and described in connection with a power transmission unit for truck-mounted concrete mixers, of the type disclosed and claimed Divided and this her 10, 1940, Serial No.

application Septem- With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction, and in the novel combinations and arrangein our co-pending application Serial No. 312,286, filed January 3, 1940, entitled Power transmission unit, of which the present application is a divi- The apparatus claimed in said parent application comprises a unitary power transmission mechanism which may be substituted in a concrete mixing unit of the truck-mounted type for the separate motor which has heretofore been practically universally used to furnish the power for driving the mixing or agitating instrumentalities, whereby such power may be derived from the truck motor through a suitable power takeoif. The construction of the said transmission unit is such that it may be substantially universally substituted for the separate motor without material change in the more or less standardized construction of the mixer unit, with the result that such mixer units may be furnished either with independent motor or for truck motor drive as occasion demands, at minimum cost.

The transmission unit includes a. change-speed gearing of the constant mesh spur gear type, in which the speed changes are efl'ected by means of a reciprocatable clutch member, and the clutch shifter of the present invention has been developed primarily for shifting such member, although as will be readily appreciated from the following disclosure it is not necessarily limited thereto. As suggestedrin said parent application, the change-speed gearing may conveniently be received and housed in an otherwise unused chamber in the housing of a double clutch-reversing-reduction gear unit of the type disclosed in the prior co-pending application of Louis G. Hilkemeier, Serial No. 267,284, filed April 11, 1939, although of course any other suitable housing might be employed.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved shifting mechanism for clutch members, such for exampleas the jaw or toothed clutch members of a change-speed gear set, which will yield temporarily should conditions exist at the time of initial engagement of.

the clutch elements which prevent full working engagement thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clutch shifting mechanism which will automatically serve as a detent for retaining the clutch elements in full working engagement.

' ments of parts, more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate like parts in all the views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, more or less diagrammatic, of a well known form of truckmounted concrete mixer, having in the place of the usual separate engine one form of the power transmission unit of the said parent application Serial No. 312,286, in which is incorporated the clutch shifting mechanism of the present invention; Fig. 2' is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, as seen from the opposite side of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view on a still larger scale, partly broken away and in section, of the said transmission unit, associated .with a double clutch-reversing-reduction unit of the type disclosed in the said Hilkemeier application Serial No. 267,284;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view through the transmission unit of said parent application, taken approximately onthe plane indicated by the line l-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrating the present clutch shifting mechanism incorporated therein; the change speed gearing being shown in the high speed position;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the actuating cam for the clutch shifting mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of the changespeed gearing, illustrating the possible yielding action of the shifting mechanism as a change is made from high to low gear;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 1-1 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a partial cross sectional view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Fig. 3, illustrating the essentials of the clutch and brake actuating mechanism for the double clutch-reversing apparatus of the said Hilkemeier application Serial No. 267,284 and showing an interlock between such mechanism and the change-speed controls; and

of separate engine drive chamber 31 asitstands. housing 2 I, affords a ready mea Fig. 9 is anelevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 8, as seen from the left of said figure.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a truck mounted concrete mixer unit of members ll of a motor truck II which isxsup-v plied-with the usual gasolineor Diesel .motor within the hood I! and with theusualconnec: tions (not shown) for transmitting power there'- from to the rear wheels 23. Since the mixer units are adapted to be mounted upon all makes of motor truck, the precise constructional! the lat-" ter may vary, and since it forms no partof the present invention, it has not been illustrated in detail. r At the forward end of the frame I} of the "inixer'unit there is mounted a transversely extending housing 2|, see Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which contains a double clutch-brake-reversing and reduction gear mechanism of the type set forth "in'the said prior Hilkemeier application Serial The details of that mechanism have not been here illustrated, but it may be said that the clutches are shifted to engagealternatively by means'ofa'lever 22, rock shaft 23' and linkage 24 connected to a shifting fork 24' engaging with a shifting collar 25. The mechanism also includes a brake drum 26 having associated with it brake be controlled through linkage 21 from the rock' shaft 23, whereby the brake will beapplied when bothclutch'es are disengaged to 'bring'the drum i5 to'an immediate stop and hold it throughout the clutch disengagement period. The reduction gearing of this unit drives a shaft 231cm"- nalled in a tubularextension 28 of the housing H, which through a chain and sprocket gearing mounted on the forward end-0f the drum l5. transmits power to the drum to rotate it.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the housing 2| is provided with a transverse partition wall 35 dividing it into two chambers 36 and 31, in the former of which the double clutch-reversingreduction gear me-hanism just referred to is mounted, while the chamber 31 in some instances may house a main clutch. The walls of the housing surroundin the chamber 31 are expanded --as'indicated at 38 (Figs. 3 and '7) to a substantially bell shape, and the end of the housing is provided with a circular flange 39 which has heretofore been bolted to the fly-wheel housing of the separate engine.

With the use of the double clutch arrangement of the Hill'remeier application, or 'with the elim-" ination ofthe separate engine, a clutch within the chamber 31 is not required, leaving this chamber available for other purposes, and the in ventionv of said parent application Serial No.

r 312,286 contemplates a power transmission attachment for truck motor drive purposes which includes a change speed gear mechanism which may be introduced into andhoused within the The flange lsfof the ns for the attachment thereto of a plate'lli which serves as a support for the truck motor-j drive unit now to. be described.

As the standard power take-offs for truck mo-.

tors usually embody a drive shaft the axis of which is longitudinal of the'truck, i. e., parallel to the propeller shaft of the latter, and since gearing and/orother mechanism in chamber 33,

and transmitted by it to the drum I! in the usual shoes 26' arranged to.

the housing 2i and its reduction gearing are normally-moimted for the reception of power from a transversely mounted separate engine,

thesaid-attachment for ck motor drive pref- "ch for example as bevelge'aring, for I J mitting power at right angles, from an axis lon- "gitudinal of the. truck to an axis transverse thereof, said power after passing through the change speed mechanism of the attachment in manner.

15 To this endythe plate 40, which as above indicated is; arranged to be secured to the flange 33 of housing 2| in lieuof the fly-wheel housing of the separate engine, has secured to it by bolts ll one end of an annular casing 42, the other end of which is closed by an end plate l3, carrying a ball or other bearing 44 for iournalling one end of a shaft 45, see Figs.3 and 4. "The axis of the casing 42-and shaft "is transverseto the longitudinal-axis of the mixer unit and oflthe tr'uckon which itis mounted, and'carried by and extending at right angles from the said casins, with its axis in substantial parallelism with said longitudinal axis of the truck and mixer unit, is a tubular extension 43 in which is iournaled, as 'by ball bearings 41, an input shaft 43. This shaft carries at its outer end a sprocket or pulley 49 for engagement by a chain or belt It. seems. i and 2, which is adapted to be driven by any suitable power take-off mechanism II deriving power from the truck motor in any usual manneru The inner end of the shaft 43 carries a bevel gear which mesheswith a companiongear 83 carried by the shaft ,see Figs. 3 and 4. Since as indicated in the said parent applicationserial 4o- No.3l2,286, the drive shaft of thepowertake-off II in some cases rotates in one direction and in some cases in the opposite direction, the gear 53 will be mounted on the shaft 45 in assembly either in the position shown in full lines or the 1 position shown in broken lines in these figures. depending up'o'n'the direction of rotation of the V input shaft 48, whereby the shaft 45 will always be driven in the same direction.

The inner end of the'shaft 45 is received in and keyed to the hub of a gear 6| constituting a portion of the change speed mechanism of the attachment, the said hub being Journalled in a ball or other bearing 62 mounted in the attaching and supporting end plate 40. The gear 3| is re- 'cessed internally for thereception of a ball bearing 33 which. Journalsone end of the output "shaft 34 of the unit. the other end of which is ,journaled ina ball or'other bearing 65 mounted in a bearing housing member 63 which is slidably received in an aperture 31 with which the'intermediatepartition wall 35 of housing II is normally provided. Beyond-the bearing 35 the output shaft carries a bevel pinion 33 arranged to meshwith one or more bevel gears 33 of the reversing and/or reduction gear unit in chamber 36.

The change speed gear mechanism of the attachment' unit is preferably. of the constant mesh spur gear type, in which the connection between the driving and driven elements for'the diiferent speeds is accomplished by a sliding clutch member 'll l. This member is provided with internal teeth-ll, see Fig. 7-, equal in numberand'complernentary to the teeth of the ge'aril, and the said member fllis slidably mounted upon'a collar 12, kcyed' to an intermediate portion of the output shaft 64 and provided with external teeth 13, also equal in number and complementary to the teeth of the gear 6|, with which it is axially alined. Thus, when the teeth of the gear 6| are circumferentially alined with the teeth of the collar 12, the clutch member '18 may be moved into overlapping power transmission engagement with the two, as illustrated in Fig. 4, thus providing a direct drive between the shafts 45 and 64 through the hub 68, gear 6|, clutch member 18 and collar 12, as will be readily understood.

To provide a different and preferably a lower speed drive for the shaft 64, a countershaft is mounted below the shaft 84, one end thereof being received in the plate 48 and the other end being received by an extension 15 of the bearing housing member 66, as will be clear from Figs. 4 and 6. This shaft 15 does not rotate, being restrained by a shoulder 11 on the last mentioned end thereof which longitudinally slidably engages a lug 18 formed on the intermediate partition wall 35. Journaled upon the countershaft 15 as by roller bearings 19 is a gear set comprising a sleeve 88 having at one end a gear 8| in constant mesh with the gear BI, and at its other end a smaller gear 82 which is in constant mesh with a gear 83 which is freely journaled upon the shaft 64. The gear 83, which is of larger diameter than the gear 6|, has a hub 84 between itself and the clutch collar 12, which hub is provided with external teeth 85, equal in number and complementary to the teeth on the members 18 and 12. It thus results that when the teeth 85 and 13 are in complementary circumferential disposition the clutch member 18 may he slid toward the left from the position shown in Fig. 4 to one in which it provides a driving engagement between the gear 83 and the collar 12, whereupon the drive will be from shaft 45 through hub 58, gear 6|, gear 8|, sleeve 88, gear 82, gear 83, clu-tch member 18 and collar 12 to shaft 64.

Since in the embodiment shown the gear 8| is larger than the ge ar.6|, and the gear 83 is larger than the gear 82, the output shaft 64 will under these conditions be driven at a less speed than that of the shaft 45. In either the direct or the reduced speed drives, however, the shaft 64 will be driven in the same direction.

For shifting the clutch member 18, the following mechanism constituting the present invention is provided: The said member is provided with an exterior circumferential groove 88 in which is received a substantially semi-circular shifting yoke 89, there being a running fit between the two whereby the clutch member may freely rotate within the yoke. The latter carries a pair of diametrically opposed trunnions 98 which are received in slots 9| formed in the ends of the arms 92 of a shifting fork 93 which is pivotally mounted on the pin or shaft 94. The said shaft is carried by a pair of cars 95, here shown as formed integrally with a cap plate or member 96 which is secured on the top of housing 2| above the chamber 31. The ears 95 extend downwardly from the cap plate 96 through an opening 91 which is normally present in the top wall of housing 2|.

The shifting fork 93 is provided with a rigid upstanding lug 98 which is provided with a pair of transversely spaced apertures 99 therethrough, see Fig. 7. The said fork is mounted medially on the pin 94 and to either side thereof, between the fork hub and the ears 95, there is journaled an arm I88. As best seen in Fig. 7, these arms are offset inwardly so that their upper ends are in line, and the said upper ends are provided with pads |8|, the inner faces of which embrace a square cam member I82 which is rigidly eccentrically carried by a hub |83. The cap plate 98 is crowned as at I85, and a rock shaft I86 is journaled in a bearing boss I81 extending from the said crown, the hub I83 of the cam member I82 being rigidly secured to the inner end of the said rock shaft |.86.

As viewed in Figs. 4 and 6, the arms I88 are disposed one to either side of the lug 98 of the shifting fork, which they overlap and normally contact, and each arm carries a bolt 8 which freely passes through one of the apertures 99 in the said lug. A helical compression spring surrounds each bolt 8 beyond the lug 98, the inner end of each spring bearing against an outer face of the lug, while the inner ends of said springs seat upon washers ||2 backed byv adjustment nuts 3 threaded on the free ends of the respective bolts 8. The springs III are pre-,

loaded through adjustment of the nuts 3 to an extent suflicient to partially restrain free movement between the arms I88 and the lug 98.

As will be clear from Fig. 4, when the clutch member 18 is in fully meshed power transmitting position as shown, the inner fiat faces of the pads ml of the said arms are in flat engagement with two opposite faces of the square cam member I82, which is arcuately displaced some 25 or more from the vertical plane of the axis of the rock shaft I86. In the course of a normal manual shift of the cam from this Fig. 4 position to that shown in Fig. 6, as the. cam reaches the said vertical plane, instead of having two opposed faces presented to the complementary faces of the pads I8|, it will have two opposite corners in engagement therewith, and since the diagonal of the square is longer ,than a side thereof, the arms I88 will have been spread somewhat against the pressure of the springs I. When the cam passes the vertical plane it begins to present its other two opposed faces to the inner faces of the pads MI and since the springs I are always tending to produce a flat contact between the pad and cam faces, they will tend to facilitate the completion of the shift.

When, as sometimes happens in the course of a shift, the teeth of the gear 6| of the hub 84 are not in meshing alinement with the teeth 1| of the clutch member 18, the sliding movement of the said ,member 18 will be temporarily arrested until such alinement results from the rotation of the gears 83 and 6|. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 6 during a shift from high to low speed, and it will be observed that when it does occur, motion of the rock shaft I86, and cam member I82 is not arrested but continues to the normal limits thereof. This 'is permitted by the yielding of one of the arms I88, as for example the right hand one in Fig. 6, against the action of its spring II|, which is thus further com-' pressed, as shown. The pressure exerted by this spring against the lug 98 is tending to move the shifting fork 93 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the said figure, which is the direction necessary to complete the shift, and as soon as the teeth 14 and are in meshing alinement, the said spring pressure acts to accomplish such meshing with a snap action. The ends of the intermeshing clutch teeth 85 and 14, and of the gear 6| may be beveled in accordance with common practice to facilitate such meshing.

The spring pressed arms I88 also serve as demeshed position. For. example, in the fully h" position illustrated in Fig. 4,any'tend,-'j encyofthe clutch member "to shift axiallyin, either direction from the position shown tendsv to produce an arcuatcg'mbvement of the cam I32 and shaft I03. However, destroy the flat face to face contact between the cam and the pads III and tend to bring the cam corners into engagement with the said pad faces, with a consequent spreading of the arms III, which of course is resisted by the springs II. It therefore results that while a shift from either speed to the other may be freely, accomplished through the application of sufilcient force, manual or otherwise, to the rock shaft I88 to overcome the preloading of the springs III, accidental or unintentional shifting is prevented through the detentaction'lust described.

When'the transmission unit is employed with the double clutch-reversing gear mechanism of the said Hilkemeier application, it is preferred to provide an interlock between the two, whereby it is impossible to shift the clutch member 13 ex cept when both clutches of the said Hilkemeier mechanism are disengaged. One example of such interlock is best illustrated in Figs. 3, '1, 8 and 9. In this form, the mechanism comprises a rod III having an angularly disposed end portion II6 which serves as a pivotal connection between the link 21' and the rock arm 21 of the brake control linkage 21. The free end of the rod I I is freely slidable in a block II1 which is pivotally carried by the upper end of an arm III, the lower end of which is rigidly carried'by one end of a rock shaft II3 journaled in a bearing tube I mounted by a bracket I2I which issecured on the top surface of the'housing 2|. A compression spring I2lsurrounds the rod II5 between one side of the block II1 and a stop washer I23 carried by the rod, and urges the said block and the arm III toward the full line position shown in Fig. 8. An adjustable stop,

here shown in the form of lock nuts I21 threaded upon the rod III, is provided to the other side of block II1, the said stop being so positioned on the rod as, to provide for a certain amount of lost motion movement of the rod in the block.

The other end of the rock shaft III rigidly carries a dog I33, overlying the operating rock shaft IIIS of the change speed gear mechanism such movement would.

said Fig. 8, and during the first part of this movement .the rod slides freely in the block Ill. with the compression spring I2l expanding and maintaining the said block, the arm III, the

rock shaft III andthe dog I33 in the full line.

positions.v However, the stop I21 is so positioned upon 'therod III that before the link 21 and am 21" complete their movement to their broken line positions, the said stop engages the block I I1, whereupon the further movement of the rod II! serves todraw the arm II3 to its broken line position shown in Fig, 8, thereby rocking the .now free to move and may be rocked to eflect the shift of .the'clutch member 18 from engagement with the gear IiI to engagement with the teeth 85 of gear hub 84. This movement of the shaft I33 brings the notch I3I into alinement with the dog I33.

above described, and oscillatable in the plane of a the axis of said shaft I08. The free end of the said dog I30 is receivable in one or the other of the two notches or recesses I3I and I32 provided in a locking plate I33 which is rigidly carried by the rock shaft I03.

The operation of the interlocking mechanism just described is as follows: With the various parts in the full line positions shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 9, the control lever 22 of the double clutch-reversing mechanism is moved to neutral position, thereby moving therock shaft 23 in a clockwise'direction, as viewed in Fig. 8, and through the clutch control linkage 24 and shifting collar 25 throwing out the engaged clutch the shaft 23 moves the link 21 of the brake the brake shoes to the brake drum 23;

When the shift has been completed, the clutch control lever 22 may be either returned to the position from which it was moved, to re-engage the clutch of the Hilkemeier mechanism which had been previously engaged, thereby continuing the rotation of the drum II in the same direction but at a lower speed, or the said lever 22 and rock shaft 23 may be moved further in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 8, to engage the other Hilkemeier clutch, thereby reversing the drum rotation. In the first instance the link 21 of the brake control linkage will be returned to its full line position, while in the second case the said link will be moved to the dotted line position shown in said figure, but in either event the effect will be to return the arm 21 and the pivot extension II8 o'f rod'l I5 to the full line positions shown therein. The movement of the rod III toward the left will return the arm 3' and the dog I33 to their full line positions, the :said dog however,iengaging in the notch I3I of the looking plate I33 and again locking the rock shaft I33 against movement. The dog will seat in the notch prior to the completion of the movement of the rod IIS, and the latter part of such movementwill serve to again load the spring I25, as will be readily understood. The same sequence of movements will of course take place when it is desired to again shift the change speed gearing to "high or direct drive.

Shims I38 are preferably provided between the plate 48 and the flange 33 of housing 2I and since the bearing housing 33 is slidable in the aperture 31 in the wall 38, by varying the number of shims employed, a proper meshing of the teeth of pinion 88 and gears 63 without backlash may be secured.

, plate I33 and there provided witha hand lever of the said mechanism. The same movement of control linkage 21 from the full'line positionby means of which it may be oscillated, it is preferred to locate such lever in the truck cab and to connect it by suitable linkage to the saidplate I33, whereby shifting 'of the change speed gearing of the parent inventionmay be effected byv the operator without leaving the cab. One such arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. wherein the lever Ill for actuating the change speed gearing extends upwardly through the floor of the truck cab I in front of the seat I42. bein rigidly carried by a rock shaft I43 mounted in suitable bearings I. The rear end of the said shaft rigidly carries an arm I which larly disposed portions of unequal dimensions,

is connected by an upwardly extending link I 45 to the locking plate I33. As will be readily understood, by shifting the lever I40 the rock shaft I06 maybe actuated to shift the change speed gear mechanism from high to low and vice versa, as desired.

The machine shown in Fig. 1 is equipped with compressed air operated mechanism for controlling the reversing clutches of the prior Hilkemeier application. While such mechanism in itself constitutes no part of the present invention, it may be briefly described as comprising a fluid pressure operated actuator or motive device I50 having an actuator arm or lever I5I connected by a link I52 to the lever 22 which controls the reversing clutches. The motive device I50 is controlled by suitable valves contained within a housing I53, which valves are actuated by means of a lever I54. A link I55 connects this lever with a hand lever I56 mounted at the rear of the machine, whereby the rotation of the drum, and the direction thereof, may be controlled from this point. Such movements of the drum may also be controlled from the truck cab MI by means of a push-pull rod I51, which is connected through rock levers I 58 and I59, and links I60 and IBI, to the valve control arm I 54. Obviously, by extending the rock shaft I43 to the rear of the machine, control of the change speed gearing may also be effected from that point if desired.

While one form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the precise details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure, except as may be required by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for shifting and controlling a clutch or like mechanism, a shifting member engageable with a portion of said mechanism; a pair of arms mounted one to either side of a portion of said shifting member; a yielding connection between said member and each of said arms; and means for actuating and controlling said shifting member, comprising a cammounted for engagement with a portion of each of said arms, whereby movements of the cam may be transmitted through said arms and yielding connections to the shifting member to cause a change of position of the mechanism controlled thereby, said cam also acting to spread the arms relative to one another against the action of said yielding means upon movement of the parts from a predetermined position of the controlled mech-. anism, whereby reaction of the yielding means and arms will cause the parts to seek and tend to maintain such predetermined position of the mechanism.

2. In a shifting and controlling device for a clutch or like mechanism, a shifting member engageable with a portion of said mechanism; a pair of opposed arms mounted one to either side of a portion of said-member; a resilient connection between the member and each of said arms; and means for actuating and controlling said shifting member, comprising an arcuately movable cam mounted between and engageable by a portion of each of the arms, whereby motion of the cam may be transmitted through the arms and resilient connections to the shifting member to change the condition of the mechanism controlled thereby, said cam having angu the greater of which is positioned to spread the arms relative to one another against the action of said resilient means upon movement of the parts from a predetermined position of the controlled mechanism, whereby the reaction of the resilient means in causing the arms to seek the lesser dimensio cf the cam'will produce in the parts a constan tendency to seek and maintain such predetermined position.

3. Shifting and controlling mechanism for a clutch or the like, comprising a shifting member; a pair of arms mounted one to either side of said member; a yielding connection between said member and each of said arms; and a single cam means for shifting the arms and member to change the condition of the means controlled by the shifting member, and in conjunction with the arms and yielding connections producing a bias of the parts toward a predetermined condition of the controlled mean 4. Clutch shifting mechanism, comprising a pivotally mounted shifting member; a pair of independently pivotally mounted arms engaging opposite sides of a portion of said shifting member, said arms being provided with a pair of opposed flat faces; preloaded spring means yieldably maintaining said engagement between the arms and shifting member portion; and an oscillatory cam member having opposed flat faces disposed to co-operate with said arm faces.

5. Clutch shifting mechanism, comprising a pivotally mounted shifting member; a pair of independently pivotally mounted arms engaging opposite sides of a portion of said shifting member, said arms being provided with a pair of opposed fiat faces; preloaded spring means yieldably maintaining the engagement between said arms and shifting member portion; and a cam having a squared member disposed between said flat arm faces, and mounted to oscillate to alternately bring different pairs of its flat surfaces into engagement with said arm faces.

6. Clutch shifting mechanism, comprising a pivotally mounted shifting member; a pair of independently pivotally mounted arms engaging opposite sides of a portion of said shifting member, said arms being provided with a pair of opposed flat faces; preloaded spring means yieldably maintaining the engagement between said arms and shifting member; and an oscillatory cam including an eccentrically arranged squaredprojecting element disposed between said flat arm faces and adapted upon oscillation to brin different opposed flat faces thereof into, engagement with said arm faces.

7. Clutch shifting mechanism, comprising a pivotally mounted shifting member having a lug provided with a pair of apertures therethrough; a pair of arms pivotally mounted co-axially with but independently of said shifting member, and I having portions engaging opposite sides of said lug, said arms also being provided with a pair of opposed fiat faces; a bolt carried by each arm, extending through said lug apertures; a preloaded spring mounted on each bolt, yieldably urging its arm toward said lug; and an oscillatory cam including an eccentrically mounted squared projection disposed between said arm faces and adapted upon oscillation to bring different opposed flat faces thereof into engagement with said arm faces.

8. Clutch shifting mechanism, comprising a pivotally mounted shifting member; a pair of independently pivotally mounted arms engaging opposite sides of a portion 01' said shiftin: memflatenacement with seid arm faces; end sprint ber, said arms-being provided with 'a. pair of mean'seonste-ntly tendin: to' msintsinsuch not opposed'flat faces; a; cam for osoillatim said ennIementin either position,'thereby i'esiatinir nuns and shittinz member, includinsa squared unintentional movement of the com and shiftin:

projection disposed between said 'nat arm faces I member. and movable between two positions in each of Y which'nn opposed pair of its flat aurtaoesis in 

